Prince of Persia Scares Canadian

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Area child frightened by a transit-posted ad for the game refuses to ride bus.

By IGN Staff

According to a report by the Canadian newspaper Windsor Star, transit advertisements for the GameCube version of Prince of Persia have been pulled from the city after a woman complained that they had frightened her child.

Collette Clairmont's son Tristan refused to ride any bus that featured the ad, the paper reported.

Two different advertisements for the game spotlighted its main character and hero in a menacing pose with a sword in his hand, and the other with a gun. (This, despite the fact that Prince does not actually use a gun in the game.) Transit Windsor removed the ads from buses after Clairmont placed seven different calls of complaint to the operation.

"It's about time," Clairmont told the paper. "I am shocked something like that is even on the bus. Tristan has had nightmares about them, saying he sees the man with the gun. It is sending the wrong message to kids," said Clairmont. "I don't even let my kids have a butter knife."

Prince of Persia was released last year for GameCube, PlayStation 2 and Xbox. The title earned a Teen rating by the ESRB for violence, suggestive themes and some blood. However, all three elements were considered subdued in comparison to more violent software like Manhunt and Grand Theft Auto 3: Vice City by the majority of critics and gamers.

The mother did not add: "First this, and just yesterday that terrifying Oscar from Sesame Street. My kids are afraid to open their eyes."

"They should be more careful what they're advertising because transit caters to kids as well," said Transit Windsor bus rider Betty Riley. "And they wonder why our jails are full and where these kids get these ideas from." That was a real quote.

Riley did not go on to say: "In fact, it's because of games like this that the kids today are running through the streets with swords in their hands and doing acrobatics."